Teaser Tuesday: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I’ve turned down a few invitations from friends to see a newly released movie because I like to read the book first. So, for this Teaser Tuesday, I’m reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. That’s right. I’m one of the few people who hasn’t read the book or seen the movie so no spoilers please. Have you read the book, seen the movie, or both? What did you think?

Here’s a teaser:

“Amy had come to the mall to buy a gun on Valentine’s Day, of all days, that’s what our friend Lonnie had said. She was a little abashed, a little nervous: Maybe I’m being silly, but…I just really think I need a gun. Mostly, though, she was scared. Someone was unnerving her, she told Lonnie. She gave no more details, but when he asked her what kind of gun she wanted, she said: One that stops someone fast.”

realswellblog.com

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Teaser Tuesday: Bound by Kate Sparkes

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book since I downloaded it in July. And hey, since it’s the first book in a trilogy it will count toward my Series Challenge for 2014. Bonus!  Here’s a teaser from Kate Sparkes debut novel, Bound:

“Peggy knew what I was. Every time she glanced in my direction, her thoughts jumped to the preserved dragon head in the back room.”

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser Tuesday: The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

I’m reading another book from the Modern Library Top 100 list: The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.   It will also count toward my goal for The Classics Reading Challenge for 2014.  Here’s a teaser:

“Many of us cook for those who are incompetent to prepare the food that they themselves eat. Many work a lifetime tending flower gardens for the pleasure of one or two people. Many of us polish slick waxed floors of fine houses. Or we drive automobiles for rich people who are too lazy to drive themselves. We spend our lives doing thousands of jobs that are of no real use to anybody. We labor and all our labor is wasted. Is that service? No, that is slavery.”

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser Tuesday: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

photo credit: Goodreads

People have been raving about this best-selling book so I’m reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green before seeing the movie (release date is June 6th). Here’s a teaser:

“May I see you again?” he asked. There was an endearing nervousness in his voice.

I smiled. “Sure.”

“Tomorrow?” he asked.

“Patience, grasshopper,” I counseled. “You don’t want to seem overeager.

“Right, that’s why I said tomorrow,” he said. “I want to see you again tonight. But I’m willing to wait all night and much of tomorrow.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m serious,” he said.

“You don’t even know me,” I said. I grabbed the book from the center console. “How about I call you when I finish this?”

“But you don’t even have my phone number,” he said.

“I strongly suspect you wrote it in this book.”

He broke out into that goofy smile. “And you say we don’t know each other.”

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Rest in Peace Dr. Maya Angelou

source: mayaangelou.com

Dr. Maya Angelou

April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“I encourage courtesy. To accept nothing less than courtesy and to give nothing less than courtesy. If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And if we have the effrontery to talk to anybody with less than courtesy, we tell ourselves and the world we are not very intelligent.”

“I know for sure that loves saves me and that it is here to save us all.”

Teaser Tuesday: Champion by Marie Lu

I’m reading Champion by Marie Lu as part of my Series Challenge for 2014. It is the third book in the Legend trilogy. Here’s a teaser:

“A slow smile spreads across Pascao’s face. ‘Well, That sounds like it could be fun. What do you have in mind?’

I put my hands in my pockets and put my arrogant mask on. ‘What I’ve always been good at.'”

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

DNF? WTF?

D is for DNF

DNF: Did Not Finish. I suppose this is the acronym that is the bane of all authors.

W-what? Why didn’t they finish the book?

Although I’ve never received a DNF—not because my books are that good, I’ve actually never published anything—I imagine it would feel a little like being told your baby has a disease. Yes, to an author, the book is her baby. After all, she labored long and hard to give birth to it. She may stare at the letters in horror praying the disease doesn’t spread.

Will more DNFs appear? Is it {gasp!} terminal? Will the book be plagued with DNFs until she’s on her deathbed, gasping for her last breath?

The author may check her vitals constantly praying for 4 and 5 star reviews to overcome the threat of death. Most often there’s no reason given for a review marked DNF. There are only those three little letters, attached to a one-star rating, leaving the author to wonder if DNF will lead to DNR, then DOA and finally, RIP. 

If this happens, one can only find comfort in the words from those who knew her best:

Teaser Tuesday: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

I’m reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell as part of my reading challenge for 2014 where I plan to read five books on the craft of writing. Here’s a teaser:

“The unconscious sends all sorts of vapors, odd beings, terrors, and deluding images up into the mind–whether in dream, broad daylight, or insanity; for the human kingdom, beneath the floor of the comparatively neat little dwelling that we call our consciousness, goes down into unsuspected Aladdin caves. There not only jewels but also dangerous jinn abide: the inconvenient or resisted psychological powers that we have not thought or dared to integrate into our lives. ”

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today’s the Day!

Today’s the day!

“Good lord! What’s happening today?” you may ask.

You don’t know? It’s the Great and Powerful Theme Reveal for those participating in the A to Z Challenge.

The A to Z Challenge  is the brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out. The challenge is to publish a post inspired by a letter of the alphabet (in alphabetical order) every day in April except Sundays. Participants can write about any topic. Your posts can be random and unrelated or you can choose a theme to blog about for the entire month.

I’ve chosen a theme. It’ll probably come as no surprise to learn what it is given the title of my blog and the fact that I already divulged it in the post Blogging from A to Z. The theme for my A to Z posts is….

Drum roll, please.

WRITING!

“Well, who are you to give advice on writing? Are you an author? Have you published anything?”

Uh no, and thanks for that reminder, by the way. No, I’m not a published author, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t learned a thing or two on this sometimes maddening roller-coaster ride to become an author. It reminds me a little of Marlin’s ride on the EAC with Dory and Crush.  Remember this?

Yeah, that one. So which one am I? Dory? Marlin? Crush? All three, actually.

Yeah, I’ve been blissfully ignorant. Or maybe that’s ignorantly blissful?

Where was I? Oh yeah. A year ago, I had just finished my first book and had queried half a dozen agents. I’m going to be a published author!

Heh. Heh. Poor thing. I was so naïve, but I didn’t know what I didn’t know, you know?

Six fairly quick rejections were the wake-up call I needed. I thought I had done my homework, reading about a dozen books on the craft of writing, but I realized I had so much more to learn. I didn’t have anyone else read my book, except my husband, and let’s face it, friends and family members don’t make the best critics. That’s right. No beta readers, no critique partners, no editors. I can’t believe I just admitted that, but this is the image that came to mind when I thought of letting someone else critique my book.

You can stop laughing now. It’s a little embarrassing.

Yeah, I’ve been uncertain.

Of course, the thing I’m most passionate about is probably one of the most difficult things to become successful at. That’s why so many of us end up alcoholics. What are you thinking? Seriously. You want to be a writer? Have you seen the talent out there? Plus, what are the odds? And, what if they don’t like you? {GASP!}

And I’ve been terrified, clutching my laptop as I go screaming down the vortex of terror.

What if I don’t make it as an author? I can’t go back to the corporate world…the crushing weight of bureaucracy, the endless meetings, the office politics, and the limitations on personal creativity…Let me stop there, before the nightmares return. This is where it’s time to say…

But mostly, I’ve been exhilarated.

I’ve said that writing gives me a euphoric feeling no drug could possibly replicate. It’s true. I love the process of building worlds and creating characters. I love it when a character wakes me up at night and won’t let me sleep until I write his or her scene. I love the feeling I get when I read something I’ve written and stare at it wondering where it could have originated. Has someone taken over my body? I love the many serendipitous moments that have occurred while writing my current WIP. They seem to be signs encouraging me to keep at it. Don’t give up. Never give up. You are meant to be a writer.

So grab shell, dude as we go swirling down the vortex of terror known as the writer’s journey. C’mon, I know you want to. Writers have serious thrill issues, dude.

Teaser Tuesday – Legends of Windemere: Allure of the Gypsies by Charles E. Yallowitz

I’m reading Legends of Windemere: Allure of the Gypsies by Charles Yallowitz as part of my Series Challenge for 2014. It is the 3rd book in the Legends of Windemere series. Here’s a teaser:

“Sari takes a moment to rub her bleeding feet before sprinting forward like a hunted rabbit, ragged breaths escaping her smooth lips. Her direction is a mystery even to her. Her only hope is that her path takes her away from the slaughter. Sari can still hear the final scream that ripped through the air and announced the demise of her kin. It took all of her strength to leave her hiding place and run for her life.”

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!